Show dogs, particularly terriers, are prepared for exhibition and judging by, among others things, dusting the coat of the dog with chalk powder. First the dog's legs are wetted with water and VASELINE brand lubricant is put on the legs. The furnishings of the legs are then dusted with chalk to highlight their appearance. This process may take up to one-half hour and can be discomfiting to the dog. The dust may irritate the dog's eyes. This irritation not only causes watering and possibly reddening of the eyes, which conditions are unsightly in a show dog, but could conceivably cause the dog injury. In addition, the dust can enter the dog's lungs, which also can cause irritation and possible injury. Lastly, because this process can be upsetting to the dog, it can affect the dog's demeanor during exhibition.
Show dogs of this type are very valuable--they can sell for thousands of dollars. Furthermore, the dogs' owners are very emotionally attached to their pets and do not wish to cause them discomfort.
For this reason, there has been a need for means to protect terriers from the chalk dust which is used during the grooming process.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,918,238 to P. Iozzio and 3,742,679 to C. Jordan both teach protective wear for dogs. However, neither protects either the eyes or the nose of the dog and are thus unsuitable for use in the field of the present invention.